Hijab issue becomes a political blame game

Bengaluru/Mysuru: The hijab spark lit by a handful of Udupi students, who assert that it's their constitutional right to wear the headscarf in classrooms, threatens to turn into a political conflagration, thanks to some politicians who are bent on making electoral gains.

Leaders in Bengaluru, particularly those of the opposition Congress and their Left party allies have begun a blame game. On Friday, former CM and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramiah blamed ruling BJP for 'engineering' the issue in Udupi, inviting wrath of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and Education Minister B.C. Nagesh. The last thing that the civil society wants is hijab becoming a poll issue. But, netas have lost no time to seize the issue to keep it boiling till the next elections in the hope of making some gains.

When it began in the Women's Government PU College in Udupi, the local community leaders, parents and MLA Raghupathi Bhat quickly tried to find a solution by asking the government to form a high-level committee. But even before the committee was formed things got out of hands and now the issue has spread to Mysuru, Shivamogga and Belagavi.

Countering the Congress allegation, Jnandendra said that some politicians wanted to turn it into vote bank politics. "They are encouraging Muslim minorities to disregard uniform rules made by the schools and their management committees. This is a show of solidarity with Islamic law, foisted by some fringe groups owing allegiance to Islamic law and want to show Indian laws in bad light. Banning hijab in schools is local law. Schools and colleges are not playgrounds of religious activities."

B.C. Nagesh was more forthcoming in condemning Siddaramiah's statement. "Siddaramiah is trying to mislead the people under the influence of his party's vote bank politics. He must know that he is playing a dangerous game with the education system in Karnataka. I refuse to accept that Siddaramiah does not know about the intricacies and complications of politicising the issue," Nagesh said.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also has expressed serious concerns over the issue being turned to suit the interests of a few groups. He held a meeting with Education Minister B.C. Nagesh, the Pre-University Board director, and the commissioner of Education. The meeting took stock of the developments on the hijab issue in Udupi, Kundapur, Byndoor, Koppa in Chikkamagaluru district, Belagavi and Mysuru on the basis of reports of intelligence and the Deputy Commissioners of the districts. The State is also thinking of issuing an ordinance on school uniform in consultation with the Law department.

In a Facebook post, MLA of Udupi Raghupathi Bhat has criticised Siddaramaiah. The post sayd: "Siddaramaiah is arguing that hijab is a fundamental right with the aim of stimulating fundamentalism in education. Those who bark that they are a lawyer, why haven't they read the rules of the Department of Education? I obey my statement on the uniform. I have said what is in the rule of the department of education".

In a statement, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar has advised his party MLAs not to react to the statements given by Siddaramaiah. "Nobody should engage in an open debate on the Hijab issue," he said.

Deputy leader of the opposition in the Assembly UT Khader, however, has come out in support of Muslim girl students wearing hijab. "Hijab has been there as part of the attire of the Muslim girl students for decades while saffron shawl is a recent development. How are we to believe that uniform rule is being twisted to show Muslim girl students as violators of rules?" Khader asked.

In a national development on the issue, Mehbooba Mufti, former CM of Jammu and Kashmir and a staunch Muslim leader herself, said that: "Muslim girls are being targeted for wearing their religious dress. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is yet another hollow slogan. Muslim girls are being denied the right to education simply because of their attire. Legitimising the marginalisation of Muslims is one more step towards converting Gandhi's India into Godhse's India." She tweeted.

Omar Abdullah, another former Chief Minister of J&K has also reacted, saying: "The state individuals are free to choose what to wear. You may or may not like their choice but that's a right we all have. If these public representatives can wear saffron robes, then these girls can use hijab. Muslims are not second-class citizens".